Sunday, September 20th, 2009 15.00
Stadio Tardini, Parma

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Yeah, that’s right, two consecutive Budan opening pictures. What’s there to say about this game? First off, I don’t think I need to remind you guys of the importance of this duel. Both teams have gathered four points from three games, which isn’t bad for Parma but is near disastrous for us. The only result that is acceptable here is a win. But that was also the only acceptable result versus Bari AT HOME. And we all know how that one went. So, if this team has any selfrespect and love for la maglia, then a good performance and win in Parma is demanded.

Parma, on the other hand, have been keen on taking over the Palermo II role from Torino in recent times. With transfer target Dzemaili and former Palermitani Zaccardo, Ale Lucarelli, Stefano Morrone, Davide Lanzafame, Hernan Dellafiore AND Mister Guidolin, playing Parma is like kissing your cousin. She might look hot, but things just don’t seem right.

On our side, there’s also some former Prosciutto Power: Bresciano, Simplicio and Budan all came to Palermo from Parma, and I’m really counting on the last one to prove to his former team that last season was a one time scenario.

Squad Status

Palermo

Liverani and Hernandez are still out, but we might see the return of Signore Miggy. The big surprise would be the possible starting spot for Budan, who might replace Cavani. It’s a big gamble, but you never know if Budan suddenly turns out to be the scoring machine we missed ever since Toni left.

Lots of doubt in midfield, where Bresciano (please no!) and Simplicio and Nocerino and Bertolo will battle for two starting spots next to Blasi and the quasi untouchable Pastore. Bovo still in central defense, which blows.

Parma

The Parma Offside might give you more information, but all I know is that Dzemaili and Lanza will start off the bench, and Bojinov isn’t fit enough to be included in the team.

Categorical Matchup

Sketchybrow vs. A Little More Secure: Push. I’m still not convinced, although Rubinho did show some nice moves last week. Maybe Parma could be the game to start shining?

The 1995 Berlin Wall vs. This Is What An Ending Career Looks Like: Palermo. Last week’s defending was pretty iffy to say the least. Bovo is unreliable, and Balza was unable to cope with the constant threath of an extra player, thanks to Bresciano. On the other side of the field there’s a lot of players trying to revive their career or reaching the end of it slowly.

We’re Not So Sure Who To Play vs. Midtable: Palermo. If we can keep Bresciano off the field, this one should always be ours. Midfield looks to be the weakest link in Parma’s team.

Biggie Smalls v. Young Guns: Parma. Uh? Parma? Why is that? Because Miccoli still hasn’t found the net, Budan will need to prove his qualities and Biabiabiabia and Paloschi are a fuckin’ dangerous duo.

Last Five Games

Palermo: WLD
Parma: DWL

Final Analysis

I’m always afraid of doing this. Whenever I get cocky, we lose. Whenever I predict a loss, we draw. I’m not doing this now, too important.

Prediction

2-2. Budan, Budan, Paloschi, Paloschi. Zenga gets the sack, Zampa picks a B-list coach like Baldini over guys like Spalletti or Serse Cosmi and our season is already over before it starts.

MOTM:

Budan.

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

After our first game, people were happy. People started dreaming again. After our second game, at the potato field in Arty Fartyville, people went back to reality. Zenga is not a wizard, and this team still needs a lot of work to be competing for the top five. I don’t care about comments from within the team that talk about the Scudetto, or even breaking into the top four. I want 5th or 6th, and a good Coppa run. People will try to hit us using Zenga’s comments, but I don’t think anyone here really believes that we can achieve that. Let’s do this thing step by step.

Step 3 is Bari. The team with the ugliest logo in all of Italian football, and a shirt that probably doesn’t have much competition in the same department either. The Galletti are back in A, and are still undefeated. Of course, that doesn’t mean shit, as I’d prefer winning 19 and losing 19 to drawing 38. Do the math, and you’ll see why. Anyway, on Giornata 1 they surprisingly held Inter to a 1-1, so this isn’t a team to underestimate. This is also the second Southern Derby in three giornate, which will also increase the pressure on Zenga and the boys.

The main obstacle that Zenga will need to overcome, is our first half performance. It will be impossible to get a good result if our first halves stay like this.

Squad Status

Palermo

Liverani and Miggy are still out injured, and so is Hernandez. Haven’t had much fun from that guy, have we? We’ll most likely see Bresciano and Nocerino running down the flanks, with Pastore in support of our magic duo and Blasi making his debut as defensive mid. There’s a small possibility that Bertolo will start in favour of Bresciano, but after last week’s game I wouldn’t count on it too much.

Bari

The Bari Offside is a nice place, and they’ll be able to tell you more. New acquisitions Donato, Diamoutene and Almiron will most likely not be there. Up to you if that’s a good thing or not. Superstar keeper JF Gillet will be the man to look out for, it only remains unseen how much he will suffer from his adventure with the Belgian NT (5-0 loss to Spain, 2-1 loss in Armenia).

Categorical Matchup

Fear The Brow vs. The Fearsome Belgian: Push. Gillet is by far Bari’s strongest link. Rubinho could become ours, but he needs a little more work.

Berlin Wall vs. Who that?: Palermo. Seriously, there aren’t much teams in Serie A with a defense that can compete with ours. I don’t see guys like Stellini and Parisi doing the same thing.

Back-up Bonanza vs. Serie B+: Palermo. Will Blasi perform? Will Bresciano go Bresciano again? Will Nocerino work his ass off? With Pastore on the field, this battle’s ours.

Dynamic Duo v. Kutuzov the Nomad: Palermo. Kutuzov can be dangerous. Cavani and Miccoli are dangerous. ‘Nuff said.

Last Five Games

Palermo: WL
Bari: DD

Final Analysis

This preview is bleeding cockyness. And it should. There’s no way in hell that not winning against Bari is acceptable. They’re fresh out of B, their team isn’t ready yet and they got lucky against Bologna. If Zenga wants to put his money where his mouth is, this is the time. Not winning against the Galletti means one foot in the grave for ‘Coach Z’.

Prediction

3-1. Pastore, Micco, Cavani. Kutuzov.

MOTM:

Pastore

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Below are 3 freestyle clips for each “contestant”. After you’ve watched each of the clips, place your vote in the poll to determine who the winner is.

Antonio Nocerino

Fabrizio Miccoli

VOTE!

Who is the better freestlyer?(survey software)

FORZA PALERMO!

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

First game: check. First victory at home: check. Victory against direct European challenger: check. So far, so good for Zenga’s boys. However, pretty much the same storyline here for week 2, albeit this match will take place away from home. It’s no secret that the key to achieving critical success this season (as in past seasons) is to take points away from home. Palermo’s (and Zenga’s for that matter) track record has been pretty abysmal. Yet, there is something to be said about the mentality of the team this year. Perhaps, things can be turned around this season under a new squad and new manager. Certainly, this team seems to have a bit of a swagger about it that has been keenly different than previous squads. The truth will be revealed during the game tomorrow.

We all know about our own performance last week. There is definitely something to be said about not playing your best game but still managing to get the full three points. It’s a very positive sign that speaks volumes about this squad’s resolve. As for Fiorentina, they’re coming off a very disappointing 1-1 draw to Bologna. One in which former Viola player Osvaldo put his team ahead, only to see Lo Zingaro pull them level and save a point. They’ve also been busy with Champions League matches – so the squad might be a bit fatigued after the midweek game against Sporting. Nonetheless, there are no excuses to be had from either side this early in the season, so let’s take a look at the squads!

Squad Status

Palermo

The squad is not exactly at full strength. We all know about the injury to Hummus aka Liverani. However, Abel Hernandez, Migliaccio and Sneeze all find themselves out for tomorrow’s clash as well. The starting lineup should resemble something like this:

The key position battle is between the Aussie and Maggie Gyllenhaal Bertolo with Bresciano getting a slight nod. Someone tell me it’s not just me that sees the striking similarities between those two! I present to you all Exhibit A and Exhibit B. As the season progresses, I can see Bertolo overtaking the Aussie eventually.

Fiorentina

Tim and Ted’s Excellent Adventures usually keep up a pretty solid blog over at Fiorentina Offside. They could cast some better light on a lineup for the Viola than I could. However, this is how Gazzetta sees it:

According to them, Dainelli and new signing De Silvestri won’t be available along with Castillo. Furthermore, the position battle between the Gypsy and Weird Al Jovetic seems to be leaning in favor of Mutu.

Categorical Matchup

Unibrow Power vs. Too Many Baguettes: Push. Rubinho’s first game saw both positives and negatives. It’ll take him a couple more games before we should expect no more Amelia-type errors. As for the Frenchman, he’s got undoubted talent and is among the best in Italy. Of course, there is the issue with his stomach slowly resembling the progressive rise of yeast in a loaf of French Bread. Nonetheless, both keepers are on par.

Established vs. Angry: Push. Is it just me or do Gamberini and Comotto always look like they want to rip someone’s head off? Fiorentina’s backline is probably not as good as ours, however, considering the game takes place at Fioremerda, it’ll be pretty even. Nevertheless, don’t count out a Gamberini red card.

South American Samba vs. Great Expectations: Palermo. How many times do we have to keep hearing about Montolivo’s potential? It’s getting quite repetitive. Vargas seems to be performing better in the midfield than when he was trying to carry on his glory days at Catania and Marchionni is solid…until he finds himself on the injury report due to a freak fall down a flight of stairs or something. As long as Simplicio can perform moderately and Nocerino can get his own meanstreak going, the rest is smooth. What’s the over/under on Pastore’s dicing of Viola players at?

Tireless Magic vs. Cheats: Push. Unfortunately, against most teams, Miccoli and Cavani get the nod. However, Mutu the Gypsy and Gila the Diver always seem to have some sort of trick up their sleeves. Whether it’s scoring with their hands or against the run of play while an injured man is on the pitch, there’s no way of knowing what antics they’ll pull next! Tune in tomorrow! Note: I suggest distracting Mutu by throwing an 8-ball of blow on the pitch. Ok, I kid, I kid.

Final Analysis

No doubt about it, this will be a tough match on the road. It will also be a good test of how the squad is coming along. In the past, Palermo has seemed to handle Fiorentina pretty well. Amauri was a Fioremerda KILLER. It certainly felt like he scored every game against them…or when he wasn’t scoring he was throwing out no-look assists to the likes of Miccoli.

With that said, is a road win against Fiorentina impossible? I think not. Palermo can pull this one out.

Prediction

2-1. Palermo. Miccoli, Miccoli, Gilardino.

MOTM:

Fabrizio Miccoli

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

It’s crunch time still. Last week’s result was an overwhelming boost of confidence to the squad and let’s hope it carries them through till the end of the campionato. The game here is a tricky road test (as always) for Palermo but really does nothing for Siena. They’re essentially safe from any relegation talk and they have nothing else to play for. Nonetheless, Palermo would be wise not to underestimate any team when they play on the road.

After Udinese took it to Lazio today, they also enter into the mix for the final Europa spot. On a side note, CAN SOMEONE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION BRING UP D’AGOSTINO’S NAME PLEASE!? I mean, is there a more obvious choice for Liverani’s eventual replacement then the Palermo native?!? Man, is that frustrating. He needs to be on the list as a potential transfer target. End of story.

The gameplan is pretty simple. WIN. No need to focus really on any other teams at this point as we, in essence, hold the key to our destiny. Let Rioma implode and figure out who will buy them, who they will buy, who they will sell, who they love one day and who they hate the next. And then watch all those things change after 2 days.

Onto the squads…

Squad Status

Palermo

CLAMOROSO!!!!!! Yeah, here I was thinking that everything was looking nice. It seemed as if the squad would be at full strength minus the usual suspects…namely, the Aussie and Mr. Ayo for Yayo. Then, a quick visit to mediagol reveals the headline: “EMERGENZA DIFESA
Palermo a Siena senza Kjaer e Balzaretti” Great. Balzaretti is sick with a fever and Kjaer has been having muscle problems in his calf it appears. So it looks like we’ll be seeing Miggy holding down the role. And a Savini sighting.Madonna…

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Migliaccio, Bovo, Savini; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Cossentino, Morganella, Kjaer, Tedesco, Guana, Succi, Mchelidze, Hernandez

Siena

Right. It’s Siena. Oh, Kharja had a cracker last week though. Earlier this week, Zuniga was listed as potential transfer target for Palermo. And we all love the hometown boy too. However, did anyone else see another hometown boy replicate the archer celebration today?! (D’Agostino!).

Probable Lineup: Curci; Zuniga, Brandao, Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppa; Kharja; Maccarone, Calaiò

A Disposizione:
Ivanov, Ficagna, Del Grosso, Coppola, Jarolim, Amoruso, Frick

Categorical Matchup

Rioma Transfer Target 1 vs. Rioma Transfer Target 2: Palermo. Amelia > Curci

ZOMG WHAT HAPPENED?! vs. Z Factor: Siena. I haven’t seen this many question marks in defense since I saw the Riddler on Batman the Animated Series.

Full Strength vs. Not Enough: Palermo. The midfield is at full strength for the first time in recent memory. That’s enough to tip the scales in their favor right there.

Record Breakers vs. Boring Palermo. Miccoli and Cavani are nearing the Palermo Serie A record for most goals by a duo with 25 to date. They’re after the ‘04-’05 version of Toni-Brienza who dropped 30. Ah, yes…memories.

Final Analysis

Win one for the Gipper! (Considering that Ballardini won’t be watching this one from the bench as he’s serving out his 1 game suspension for being awesome)

Form Guide

Palermo
WDWLW

Siena
WWLLW

Prediction
2-1. Maccarone, Cavani, Miccoli.

MOTM:

Miccoli

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 15.00
Stadio La Favorità, Palermo

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Derby delle Isole. Liverani is calling it the game of the year and in many ways he is correct. This is the game that will determine how we finish out our season. Will we be competing for the final Europa spot? Anything short of three points here at home says most likely no.

Jeremy over at the Cagliari Offside already has a good preview up for the game. Head over there for a more in-depth look at the squad. Yet, some things are worth mentioning again. Cagliari’s season has been nothing short of spectacular this year. If you were to go back to the beginning of the season, many “experts” picked them to head down to B – with little reinforcements coming into the team that just survived last year’s axe. The first five games certainly looked to back that prediction up quite well. However, the Sardinians turned in great results at a torrid pace – quickly moving themselves up the table and into the position they are today. Massimiliano Allegri is certainly worthy of a mention for Coach of the Year as he has his side playing some brilliant and skilled calcio. Their season is already a success, yet, they are out for more than just safety.

Palermo tifosi need no reminder of the last time these two squared up. Sadly, Jeremy is spot on when he observes Palermo’s addiction to self-destruct when a game-changing call goes against them is worse than Ronaldo’s addiction to trannys. Nonetheless, Ballardini has some extra incentive once again to try and beat the team he saved last season. In doing so, he could pretty much end their dreams of European glory.

Squad Status

Palermo

Well, we all know that Palermo is feelin’ the Cocaine Blues right now. No Moris the Barbarian…his absence hurts us even more so after Bovo picked up a suspension for some ticky-tack fouls last week. That leaves the backline looking pretty shaky. All signs point to a Kjaer-Savini partnership. Just be glad the Great Dane is around because a Miggy-Savini duo would’ve been a recipe for rotten hummus and spoiled chutney. It seems as if Emo’tino will be on the bench but not at 100%. Other than that, Amelia is banged up but the rest of the squad minus the Wizard of Oz should be good to go.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Savini, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino; Simplicio; Miccoli, Cavani

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Cossentino, Tedesco, Guana, Succi, Mchelidze, Hernandez

Cagliari

Unfortunately, Cagliari seems to be at full strength for the most part. Therefore, they’ll have an edge from a Starting XI point of view – even if they are away at the Barbera. How much of an advantage that is in front of our tifosi, however, is the question.

Probable Lineup:
Marchetti; Pisano, Bianco, Canini, Agostini; Biondini, Conti, Fini; Cossu; Jeda, Acquafresca

A Disposizione
Lupatelli, Matheu, Astori, Lazzari, Parola, Mancosu, Matri

Categorical Matchup

Established as Good vs. Surprisingly Good: Push. Marco is still recovering from shoulder woes. Marchetti has been one of the most important reasons for Cagliari’s success. He is as solid as they come between the sticks and he should be heavily linked with clubs looking for a solid GK during the upcoming mercato.

The Odd Couple vs. Caca Pants Returns!: Push. Cassani? Yes. Kjaer? Yes. Balzaretti? Yes. Savini? Yikes. He’s a nice guy…just doesn’t provide the kind of reassuring calm we need at the back – even if he IS in his old position at CB.

Ali Baba & Co. vs. The Unknowns: Push. The key to both of these teams rely in the midfield. Cagliari has gotten solid play out of their mids which has taken some pressure off their attack. Meanwhile, Palermo suffers from schizophrenia. One week, Jekyll; the next, Hyde.

Eyebrows & Frankenstein vs. Freshwater: Palermo. Cavani scores at home. That’s just how it is. Perhaps, the tifosi give him that extra gear to put the finishing boots on, but whatever it is, it’s working. Speaking of work, Miccoli needs to do some more of that on the pitch, rather than walking around half the time, pulling a toenail and then exiting the game.

Final Analysis

This is it. The picture to our season will be alot clearer after Sunday. Both teams match up remarkably well, so it’ll come down to who wants it more. And that might make us all a little nervous, eh?

Form Guide

Palermo
LWDWL

Cagliari
WWLWD

Prediction
2-1. Cavani, Miccoli, Jeda.

Cori!

One of my favorite chants from the Ultras:

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Palermo is taking on the other team from Verona this weekend. Both teams are coming off of big wins with Chievo surprisingly beating a lackluster Lazio side, 3-0. The win helped lift the lesser known Verona team out of the relegation zone…for the time being. Another crazy note is that Chievo have only lost once in 2009 – which is definitely noteworthy. Nonetheless, Palermo will be traveling to the Bentegodi to try and continue their form from the last two weeks as well as continue their rise in the standings toward a spot in Europe. Palermo face another test on the road against a lesser opponent, but this team hasn’t exactly provided the consistency we’ve looked for especially in winnable games. Let’s hope Palermo brings the same determination they’ve brought the past two rounds.

Squad Status

Palermo

Ballardini will be without one key player and three stooges. Miccoli is out due to yellow card accumulation. Meanwhile, the Tin Man Igor Budan will be missing his 1,325,359th game in a row, Bobby Goblin is still trying to find a new shoulder blade and the Aussie is trying to find some courage still having back problems. Miggy will probably start in Bresciano’s place. The big question mark is who will start along side Cavani? I’m afraid to say that I believe Ballardini is leaning towards starting Succi. He must feel obligated since the guy just had a mini-Succi. That’s unfortunate. But it also has to do with the fact tha Sneeze felt some pain in his calf the past couple days in training. We’re banking on Cavani again!

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Carrozzieri, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino, Simplicio; Cavani, Succi

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Kjaer, Morganella, Savini, Nonno, Abel Hernandez, Mchedlidze

Chievo

The good news is Chievo has a blog. The bad news is that it is a tad frivolous at best. There’s only one player who poses a constant threat on the team and that would be their marksman Pellissier. Other than him, the team is pretty much built for B – but that’s not really a slight at the team, it’s just a fact due to their recent promotion. Nonetheless, Palermo needs to be attentive.

Probable Lineup:
Sorrentino; Frey, Morero, Yepes, Mantovani; Luciano, Rigoni, Marcolini, Pinzi; Pellissier, Bogdani

A Disposizione:
Squizzi, Scardina, Sardo, Italiano, Colucci, Langella, Esposito

Categorical Matchup

Italy #2 vs. Italy #200: Palermo.

Four Horsemen vs. Four Jackasses: Palermo. The rosanero are at full strength in the back with Moris the Beast returning. That means a strong player starts on the bench – although don’t rule out a Kjaer appearance if Palermo need to protect a lead late in the game.

Heart & Determination vs. Pasta Noodles: Palermo. I can’t be the only one who thinks that Chievo’s midfielders all sound like various types of pasta noodles can I? I kid! Nonetheless, Palermo’s midfield might be stronger without a heartless Bresciano on the flanks, replaced by Migliaccio.

Baby-Makers vs. One-Man Show: Push. Anytime Succi finds his way into the lineup – even if it means he has to have a kid in order to find a spot in the Starting XI – is a time to start worrying about our attacking options.

Final Analysis

Nothing really to say here other than Palermo needs to find a way to win again. On the road. And without Miccoli. Wow, does this sound familiar to you guys at all? It should.

Form Guide

Palermo
DLLWW

Chievo
DLWDW

Prediction
2-1. Pellissier, Succi, Succi. SIKE!

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Preview

Well, here we are again in a similar situation that we’ve already been in about 3,464,342 times this season. The past two games have been dramatically different and both have been definitely unexpected. Palermo come into this game at home against our “cousins” from Lecce. Right now, the club has experienced some strange times – including Zamparini talking like a sane man – but then again, it could just be the medication he’s on. At least he’s not making the same wreckless statements that he’s known for, although he seems to have passed those duties onto Nonno. The boys in pink have A LOT to do in this game in order to win back the tifosi (and rightfully so).

The time is now to start winning games against teams that deserve to be beaten – especially in front of our own tifosi. I am more than confident that if our boys don’t come out with grit and determination, the tifosi will let them hear it. All I can say is that this team has provided more head-scratching moments than Paula Abdul on American Idol. There’s nothing more to say other than Palermo MUST win tomorrow, especially given our opponents current condition. End of story.

So, Lecce. Pretty bad season so far, but that’s to be expected from a freshly promoted side. They sit in 2nd to last from the drop on only 23 points. The abysmal performances have led to Mario Beretta being sacked last week after a stale 0-0 draw against fellow relegated relegation and last place side Reggina. With that said, Gigi De Canio will be in charge of his first game as the new Lecce coach against the rosanero.

Squad Status

Palermo

Ballardini has called up 19 players to face Lecce. Those missing out on the draw are the Aussie, Igor Boo-Boo, Moris the Barbarian, Bobby Goblin and of course, Fontana. Although there has been a lot of speculation coming out of the Palermo camp about a trident of Cavani, Miccoli and Hernandez in training, you’d have to think that Davide will stick to his usual lineup of 4-3-1-2. Good news is that Sneeze is finally back and will be on the bench.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Morganella, Savini, Nonno, Abel Hernandez, Succi, Sneeze

Lecce

Normally, here’s where I’d send you over to the Lecce page, but considering the erratic nature of the blog over there, I think I might just try to handle this myself. I mean, anybody remember Saint Antonio or this other gem? Oh well, no worries.

As mentioned before, Lecce is pretty poor. They don’t have much going for them other than Bikerman Caserta. Furthermore, they’ll be missing some “key” players for the match. Obviously, when you’re a relegation suspect, a “key” player most likely means a guy who can dribble and shoot with both feet. I kid, I kid! Out for sure are Daniele Cacia, Giacomazzi (remember him?) Ariatti and Esposito (not Mauro, the other one). Those in doubt seem to be Konan and Stendardo. It seems as though De Canio is leaning towards a 3-5-2 but one can’t be certain for sure. That said, here’s my Gazzetta’s lineup for them.

Probable Lineup:
Rosati; Stendardo, Fabiano, Schiavi; Antunes, Ardito, Zanchetta, Caserta, Munari; Tiribocchi, Castillo

A Disposizione
Benussi, Polenghi, Giuliatto, Basta, Edinho, Vives, Papadopoulos

Categorical Matchup

Marky Mark vs. Meh: Palermo. Marco has to redeem himself in front of the fans, but there’s no doubt he is a better all-around keeper than Rosati…even with one arm.

Pretty Boys vs. Pretty Awful: Palermo. Even without the ogre Moris, we still have a dominant edge at home with Kjaer and Bovo partnering up. Lecce’s defense has let up the third most goals in the league (41).

Aladdin & the Muppets vs. The Bikerman Gang: Palermo. The midfield had a good game last week with even Bobby Goblin playing well (note: sign of the apocalypse)! Lecce has a loaded midfield led by the ex-rosanero Caserta, but Palermo should have an edge in this category especially with Nocerino and Miggy providing appropriate cover on the flanks. It’s a bit defensive, but then again, it’s not like we have Lanzafame or Jankovic to come off the bench for some offensive push now eh?

Fast & Ugly vs. Toothless Attack: Palermo. All you need to know is this: Lecce haven’t scored in over 486 minutes of calcio.

Final Analysis
Miccoli will be facing his beloved hometown club tomorrow. I don’t see much motivation to score from him, but the rest of the team should be just fine. Then again, considering performances, Miccoli might want to put in some effort tomorrow otherwise he might be sold to Lecce at the end of the season and just in time for Serie B. This is the final push. Regardless of the past, we got to have the boys look forward and play every game like a playoff. Remember, the categorical matchups all point to a win for us, yet this team is maddeningly inconsistent. It’s time to change that and it starts with bringing a solid 3 points tomorrow.

Form Guide

Palermo
WDLLW

Lecce
LLLLD

Prediction
2-0. Cavani, Simplicio

Cavani!

If any of you have heard the song Novembre by Giusy Ferreri, you’ll enjoy this little tribute to Cavani based off the same tune (minus the guy who sounds like he has a cold).

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Sunday, February 15th, 2009 15.00
Stadio Oreste Granillo, Reggio Calabria

Preview
First off, I think an apology is in place. I have been neglecting you guys lately, and I feel pretty bad about it. I have an excuse though: I combine a full-time job with freelance writing, and I have been studying to pass my exams as an Italian interpreter/translator this week. Which I did. Two more years to go. And I hope this preview will make up for the neglect a little.

So, Reggina. All the way down in Serie A. Let’s take a look at the other teams surrounding the Reggio boys:

* Bologna: draw
* Lecce: draw
* Torino: loss
* Catania: loss
* Samp: win
* Chievo: win
* Reggina: win

Doesn’t look all that good, does it? To be completely honest: all of these games, except for the Samp one, we were on the loose. Now, we’re no longer The Joker, but more like Don Konkey: deep inside we’re still sick, but with the help of some pills we can manage to grab a hold of ourselves.

So what’s there to say about Reggina? Ever seen a bird ran over in the street, still trying to fly away although both it’s wings are broken and there’s guts everywhere? Well, that’s Reggina. It saddens me to see the team in such a state, but they will be playing Vicenza and AlbinoLeffe in stead of Milan and Palermo next year. Since Orlandi returned, they haven’t lost a game, including a 1-1 against Milan last week. Added to that is the fact that we have never won a Serie A match in Reggio. So it’s gonna be tough. But hey, if Juve can beat them 4-0, I think we may expect at least a 2-0 win here.

Squad Status

Palermo

It’s a weird situation this week. The backline is okay, Micco and Cavani will be fine up front, and Liverani returns. So what’s not good then? With Bresciano and Nocerino suspended, half of our starting midfield is out. And we all know what that means: Roberto.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Balzaretti, Bovo, Kjaer, Cassani; Migliaccio, Liverani, Guana; Simplicio; Miccoli, Cavani

Reggina

Since there’s no Reggina Offside anymore, I guess I’ll do the honours. Or Channel 4, it’s all the same. “They also suffer the blow of losing their second top League scorer Francesco Cozza – with four goals – to a one-match suspension, along with Maurizio Lanzaro. Antonio Giosa, Luca Vigiani, Franco Brienza, Giovanni Ceravolo and Edgar Barreto are all sidelined through injury.”

Holy shit. I mean, when you’re already knee-deep in the dark, brown juice, losing Cozza, Ciccio AND Barreto is just a huge punishment.

Probable Lineup:
Campagnolo; Santos, Valdez, Cirillo; Costa, Barilla, Carmona, Hallfredsson, Krajcik; Corradi, Di Gennaro

Categorical Matchup

Butterfingers vs. Reggio’s Hope: Push. Yeah, didn’t see that one coming, did you? Last weak, Amelia was sketchy to say the least. Campagnolo is not a top 5 keeper, but he’s sure doing good things for Reggina this season.

Kid’s got Skills vs. 3 Man Mistake: Palermo. We all saw what Kjaer is capable of last week. This kid has got a great future in front of him. Reggina’s fielding a three-man defense. The last team that tried that were two behind after 20 minutes. Big mistake.

Bald, Bald, Brown, Brown vs. Who That?: Palermo. Except for Halfredsson, I don’t even know these guys. Not even the presence of Guana will give Reggina an advantage here.

Best thing since sliced bread vs. Second String: Palermo. Our boys are playing at their best, while Reggina only has Corradi.

Final Analysis

See that advantage for us in the match-ups? That’s the same score as against Torino and Chievo. We all know what can happen when we underestimate an opponent, so I’m not gonna say too much about it. I have a history of jinxing these games.

Form Guide

Palermo
WWLLW

Reggina
LLDDD

Previous Encounters:

Hell no.

Prediction
No fuckin’ way.

MOTM:

Miccoli

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Saturday, December 20th, 2008 18.00
Stadio Olimpico, Roma

Preview

Aah…it feels good not having to go trough another depressing week after another depressing loss to a second-tier team like Cagliari. Siena didn’t bring it, so we did. Without Miccoli, the expected damage control wasn’t even necessary. But this week is something else. The rosanero are travelling the Eternal City, for tea time with the boys in their silky satin baby blue shirts. Lazio were having a great spell after last year’s debacle when the season started, but now they’re in the exact same place as we are: in the belly. Close to the head, but also dangerously close to the shitter. SS NSDAP might have played a fine game against Udinese last week (coming back from a 3-0), but they have been waiting for a win for five games now. Delio Rossi’s ass is on the line, and he doesn’t like it.

‘Inconsistent’ is a keyword that can also be applied to Palermo. Beating the big guys, but failing against little teams, of which some are still hanging on to a Scudetto that was won over 35 years ago. Lazio is none of these. Lazio belongs to the same category as Udinese, Samp, Genoa and…err…Palermo. And as you can see, we lost our only game we played against a team in this category. But, that was another era. The Suit was still in charge and it was the first game of the season. Still, this is a game that could go either way. Difficult to predict, and sometimes too excited to watch.

Squad Status

Palermo

Nothing special here. Miccoli’s back after calling Banti whatever it was he said, so our attack is back at it’s best. There’s not a lot of things to be said: it’s the same as it always is, with Liverani on the field.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Bovo, Carrozzieri, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Lverani, Bresciano, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Lazio

The boys over at the Lazyo Offside might do a preview. They even might not do a preview. In the end, Lazio will still be without Siviglia and will have to choose from one of Foggia/Pandev/Rocchi to be benched.

Probable Lineup:
Carrizo; Lichtsteiner, Diakite, Rozenhal, Radu; Brocchi, Ledesma, Dabo; Rocchi, Zarate, Pandev

Categorical Matchup

Playstation vs. Almost Carrozzieri: Palermo. The only real Romano between the goals is on top of his game lately.

Braveheart & Bovo vs. Shiite: Palermo. Rozehnal? Haha. Radu? Haha. Lichtsteiner and Diarrhea, a little less Haha. But our incredible backline kept a clean sheet last week, while Lazio conceded three.

Fozzy and The Butt-Pirates vs. Dunno: Push. The inevitable Hummuseater is still in the centre of midfield, but just like that pulsating purple-brown spot on your Pazzini, you learn to live with it. Lazio has Brocchi and two other guys to push his wheelchair.

Yes Eyebrows! vs. Past Their Prime: Push. Micco’s back and Cavani’s actually showing signs of talent, while Zarate is proving to be a one trick pony and Rocchi’s close to signing for Genoa.

Final Analysis

Although this game is a tad more difficult than the Siena one, not much has changed since last week. This is still a must win game, and with the line-up we have on our hands there is not a single team except for Inter that we have to be afraid of. I mean, this team trashed Milan. Too bad it’s in the Olimpico, where 13.453 farmers will be rooting for Rome’s countryside-team.

Form Guide

Palermo
LDWLW

Lazio
LDLDD

Prediction
I ain’t jinxing it.

MOTM:

Bobby Goblin’s manager, aka the Real King Of Comedy: “Milan is interested in my client as a replacement for Gattuso, but he won’t go to Milan. He wants to stay in Palermo, and fight for a spot in the starting line-up.”

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!